In Reply to:Koolhaas at IITposted by Stephen F Smith on November 20, 2003 at 14:35:56:

I'm not an IIT alum, but I worked on the building for Holabird&Root, with OMA. So naturally, I'm biased when I say that I love it. Perhaps more so on this project than with your typical 21st century masterpiece, cost was an ongoing issue, and the final form is very different than what was originally envisioned. In the face of unbeleivable pressure and difficulty, OMA and H&R never gave up on this building and it shows.

It's important that one not try to experience this building as an object, or typical building, but rather as part of the overall urban fabric of the campus. This is how Mies' original buildings were best experienced. Yes, the materials and colors are louder, more vibrant and more contemporary than the surrounding campus, but then so are the students for whom it was designed.

Check out Rem's written piece about this building (and the Commons) in the tail end of the book Mies in America. If you're an IIT alum and you don't already own this book, then you should hang your head in shame!